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# Coordinate HHS Drug Shortage Activities: GAO
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/coordinate-hhs-drug-shortage-activities-gao/
- Published: 2025-04-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T14:57:21.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5158974

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of the federal government’s response to drug shortages says HHS should implement a mechanism to coordinate its activities related to shortages since the department says the current coordination function will end in May.

The GAO [report](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107110?utm%5Fcampaign=usgao%5Femail&utm%5Fcontent=topic%5Fhealth&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery) says that as of 7/31/2024, 102 drug shortages were being tracked by FDA. It notes that the agency is responsible for tracking and addressing drug shortages in the U.S. through several efforts. “Drug shortages are a multifaceted issue that require a collaborative government approach to address them, according to FDA, Congress, and others,” the report says. “HHS did not have a coordinating structure across the department to oversee its responses and strategies. This limited the capability of HHS to mitigate and respond to shortages and strengthen supply chain resilience, according to HHS.”

In 11/2023, GAO says, the Biden administration announced a coordinator position in HHS to strengthen medical product supply chains and address related shortages. The department took steps to establish the position and appointed an acting coordinator who developed a task force including representatives from agencies across HHS.

In response to GAO’s recommendation on the need for such a position, the report says, HHS said it did not concur with the recommendation because the coordinator position and its associated actions would be ending in May.

“This will leave HHS without a mechanism for coordinating the department’s drug shortage activities,” the report concludes. “The department stated that the current administration had not indicated how it will direct and coordinate supply chain activities moving forward.”